It is certainly unfortunate that we have to stop and put a date on a calendar to remind us about the misfortunes of elder abuse. But we do, and this year it is this Wednesday, June 15.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was started by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.
Elder abuse is considered a violation of human rights and a major cause of illness, injury, loss of productivity, isolation and despair, according to the WHO. In the United States alone, as many as 5 million people annually are victims of elder abuse. Often strangers, friends or even family members exploit the funds of elders, and beyond that they suffer from physical, emotional, verbal and even sexual abuse.
There are many things we all can do to prevent elder abuse. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote here about efforts that can be made to reduce financial abuse. Here is a great list of warnings signs and prevention efforts for all forms of elder abuse from HealthinAging.org.
So on this day it is important that we stay vigilant to the horrors of elder abuse, and for each of us to do what we can to prevent it.